I've been looking at buying the x9 as I'm fed up with my galaxy s2. I know the screen is unresponsive from peoples posts etc, I'm sure I can live with it but I have a few questions.
1. Does it have gapless playback?
2. Can I create playlists on the player?
3. Will I have issues with win7 64bit?
4. Is there custom UI's for it?

Hi friends! Sorry to revive an old thread, but better that than to just mindlessly make new ones I think.

I always liked Cowon for portable sound, their price range is reasonable for me (can't afford the ibasso-bracket of players lol)

So what is the current answer to the question in the topic nowadays? I am thinking of getting a new portable player, which one to go for?

I prefer minimalistic style, I do not care about video or anything like that, it would be nice with a smaller player but I guess SQ comes first, period. I use DN-1000 iem's, have my collection in FLAC but can use self-converted mp3's if it becomes a factor for playback time or drive/card space.

the way I understood it (from previous posts in this thread and by looking around), some of them do use different DAC's, the S3 is discontinued, the X2 is a bit large, the Z2 had some issues being android and so on, and then the firmware also plays in.

What about the iAudio9?

I used to have an iAudio7 and loved it, thought it was a real bang-for-the-buck player, if anyone can give any comparison between the newer players and that one it would be really helpful to me.

Why can't you afford ibasso products? Not much difference between the price of a dx50 and one of cowons more expensive players.

You are absolutely right. I just read around some more and realised the DX50 was actually priced around $250 which I had no idea about. I though it was up there with the C4/hifiman players, I must have had it mixed up with the DX100 I guess, so I imediately ran over to the DX50 thread and asked around for further tips and opinions :D

I am looking to buy a new player in that price range though (say $200-$250) and I'd appreciate any opinions on how the DX50 measures up against the better Cowon players. As I wrote, I used to have a cowon iAudio7, loved it, that is nearly all I know about portable players in that range.

You are absolutely right. I just read around some more and realised the DX50 was actually priced around $250 which I had no idea about. I though it was up there with the C4/hifiman players, I must have had it mixed up with the DX100 I guess, so I imediately ran over to the DX50 thread and asked around for further tips and opinions :D

I am looking to buy a new player in that price range though (say $200-$250) and I'd appreciate any opinions on how the DX50 measures up against the better Cowon players. As I wrote, I used to have a cowon iAudio7, loved it, that is nearly all I know about portable players in that range.

I've owned many Cowons, S9,J3,C2,D2+. DX50 is superior to them all IMO. Better detail, resolution and refinement. Plus the UI personally I find just as easy to use. This is coming from someone who isn't a huge fan of DX50 from headphone out though it is OK. I run amped full time with Tralucent T1 then it is a good performer. But even from headphone out (to my ears) it is clearly better than Cowon. Some will disagree like anything, though to me it is superior and more fun.

Another player I can recommend is Colorfly C3 for $100, but the UI is very basic and screen tiny. Its made just to play from folder selection only. Purely a music player but sounds very audiophile orientated. Far more than $100 should sound.

You are absolutely right. I just read around some more and realised the DX50 was actually priced around $250 which I had no idea about. I though it was up there with the C4/hifiman players, I must have had it mixed up with the DX100 I guess, so I imediately ran over to the DX50 thread and asked around for further tips and opinions :D

I am looking to buy a new player in that price range though (say $200-$250) and I'd appreciate any opinions on how the DX50 measures up against the better Cowon players. As I wrote, I used to have a cowon iAudio7, loved it, that is nearly all I know about portable players in that range.

Or you could hold off for a few weeks. Cowon is expect to release the P1. It comes with 128gb on-board flash, with an expansion slot. It will play Hi res files. Pricing or availability has not yet been announced.

I've owned many Cowons, S9,J3,C2,D2+. DX50 is superior to them all IMO. Better detail, resolution and refinement. Plus the UI personally I find just as easy to use. This is coming from someone who isn't a huge fan of DX50 from headphone out though it is OK. I run amped full time with Tralucent T1 then it is a good performer. But even from headphone out (to my ears) it is clearly better than Cowon. Some will disagree like anything, though to me it is superior and more fun.

Another player I can recommend is Colorfly C3 for $100, but the UI is very basic and screen tiny. Its made just to play from folder selection only. Purely a music player.

Thanks a million for the info mate.

Yeah I read a bit about the C3, it seemed like a nice player but as you said I have also read about how limiting the UI is. I really appreciate an easy to use UI so I guess that is why I will prioritise looking at other players for now, and I guess the DX50 will be it.

I also read that several people say that the DX50 sounds much better with an amp, I have never tried amping portable sound (I have limited experience with trying out different setups), is it correct to assume that the amp does more work for you if you have headphones and it makes less of a difference for iem's? or is the difference as noticeable with both? Should I really try to amp an eventual DX50 at any cost? I would love to use an amp from a SQ perspective but it is all about the portability for me I guess (and at the moment, economy).. I need the player to fit in a jeans pocket to put it bluntly and I fear that a portable amp will make it too messy.

Either way thanks for the comparison, the DX50 seems to get so much love in the community I guess this will seal it for me and I'll try to grab one of those over a Cowon-player.

Yeah I read a bit about the C3, it seemed like a nice player but as you said I have also read about how limiting the UI is. I really appreciate an easy to use UI so I guess that is why I will prioritise looking at other players for now, and I guess the DX50 will be it.

I also read that several people say that the DX50 sounds much better with an amp, I have never tried amping portable sound (I have limited experience with trying out different setups), is it correct to assume that the amp does more work for you if you have headphones and it makes less of a difference for iem's? or is the difference as noticeable with both? Should I really try to amp an eventual DX50 at any cost? I would love to use an amp from a SQ perspective but it is all about the portability for me I guess (and at the moment, economy).. I need the player to fit in a jeans pocket to put it bluntly and I fear that a portable amp will make it too messy.

Either way thanks for the comparison, the DX50 seems to get so much love in the community I guess this will seal it for me and I'll try to grab one of those over a Cowon-player.

The reason you see so many people amping DX50 is because the internal amp section doesn't perform terribly well (but it is OK), it lacks some soundstage, instrument separation, and it can be a little underpowered for some pairings (mostly bigger headphones). Many of us are taking the signal from DX50's true line out jack which bypasses DX50's internal amp section then we use our own amps. But do not worry, DX50 headphone out is OK just we can make it perform better and being enthusiasts try to gain best potential we can. Maybe you would like DX50 with your IEM just fine, and that's the first step to take. Then if you find it lacking you could look at C&C BH2 for $100 which is a portable amp the size of a credit card members are finding popular with DX50. Very tiny amp that runs for 80 hours. http://www.head-fi.org/t/644363/c-c-bh-portable-headphone-amp-80-hours-from-a-single-charge-buyer-review

But yes, I would move on from Cowon personally, I used to be a big fan and we don't know the P1's price yet, I can tell you it will be more than $250.

Or you could hold off for a few weeks. Cowon is expect to release the P1. It comes with 128gb on-board flash, with an expansion slot. It will play Hi res files. Pricing or availability has not yet been announced.

While that would be the smart approach, the DX50 is already pushing my price range as I expect to pay around $250 for it, and from what I have heard people are guessing the P1 will be quite a bit above that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by H20Fidelity

The reason you see so many people amping DX50 is because the internal amp section doesn't perform terribly well (but it is OK), it lacks some soundstage, instrument separation, and it can be a little underpowered for some pairings (mostly bigger headphones). Many of us are taking the signal from DX50's true line out jack which bypasses DX50's internal amp section then we use our own amps. But do not worry, DX50 headphone out is OK just we can make it perform better and being enthusiasts try to gain best potential we can. Maybe you would like DX50 with your IEM just fine, and that's the first step to take. Then if you find it lacking you could look at C&C BH2 for $100 which is a portable amp the size of a credit card members are finding popular with DX50. Very tiny amp that runs for 80 hours. http://www.head-fi.org/t/644363/c-c-bh-portable-headphone-amp-80-hours-from-a-single-charge-buyer-review

But yes, I would move on from Cowon personally, I used to be a big fan and we don't know the P1's price yet, I can tell you it will be more than $250.

Alright, I'll take all your advice with me about the players' performance and I'll keep your suggestion in mind if it turns out I get the DX50 and feel like trying an amp with it. Cheers!

H20Fidelity -- like opis, I've got a pair of DN-1000s, and I'm looking for source solution. My Moto X offers a nice, airy sound with the Dunus, but it's severely lacking in bass, and I love my bass. Amped by a Meier-Corda Headsix, I like it rather a lot, but you can't really stack two curved devices, and the size disparity makes it impractical, anyway. Plus, carrying a stack around airports (I travel for work) all the time stinks, even if it's a credit-card sized Fuze/Headsix pairing. I'm looking for a single-box solution, and size is an issue (travel again). I need something pocketable but reasonably powerful and with low output impedance to drive the Dunus well. Price is not my main consideration, but I won't be spending more than $400US or so, and I'd love to spend much less. Among the Sony 880s, or the iBassos, or the Fiios -- or any other "budget" makers -- is the DX 50 the best solution, given my need for portability? Will it -- or any of the others -- sound as good as my Fuze/Headsix stack? I feel like I'd need to improve on that to justify spending anything at all. I must admit, btw, that the Sonys' android OS is awfully attractive to a Poweramp/MediaMonkey user...can they compete with the iBasso on SQ and power delivery?

(This is almost not off-topic, btw, since I came to this thread looking for a good single-box source!)

H20Fidelity -- like opis, I've got a pair of DN-1000s, and I'm looking for source solution. My Moto X offers a nice, airy sound with the Dunus, but it's severely lacking in bass, and I love my bass. Amped by a Meier-Corda Headsix, I like it rather a lot, but you can't really stack two curved devices, and the size disparity makes it impractical, anyway. Plus, carrying a stack around airports (I travel for work) all the time stinks, even if it's a credit-card sized Fuze/Headsix pairing. I'm looking for a single-box solution, and size is an issue (travel again). I need something pocketable but reasonably powerful and with low output impedance to drive the Dunus well. Price is not my main consideration, but I won't be spending more than $400US or so, and I'd love to spend much less. Among the Sony 880s, or the iBassos, or the Fiios -- or any other "budget" makers -- is the DX 50 the best solution, given my need for portability? Will it -- or any of the others -- sound as good as my Fuze/Headsix stack? I feel like I'd need to improve on that to justify spending anything at all. I must admit, btw, that the Sonys' android OS is awfully attractive to a Poweramp/MediaMonkey user...can they compete with the iBasso on SQ and power delivery?

(This is almost not off-topic, btw, since I came to this thread looking for a good single-box source!)

[edited for grammar]

If you can find a Sony NWZ-F806 (or F-Series Walkman) that would be my suggestion for you, I've used one full-time with the Dunu hybrid, the output impedance is around 4ohm on my NWZ-F806 though sounds fine, It can compete with DX50 to a degree however you're opening that full android feature you're interested in. Another suggestion which is highy portable with very low output impedance would be the Sansa Clip Zip with rockbox installed. its tiny and I often speak highly about the pairing with DN-1000 (they sounds really good together and has nice bass punch). DX50 is medium in size yes and it will probably offer the sound you want though something slimmer would be preferred for your application. At the end of the day for me I would take portability in your situation over getting every inch of sound quality.

If you can find a Sony NWZ-F806 (or F-Series Walkman) that would be my suggestion for you, I've used one full-time with the Dunu hybrid, the output impedance is around 4ohm on my NWZ-F806 though sounds fine, It can compete with DX50 to a degree however you're opening that full android feature you're interested in. Another suggestion which is highy portable with very low output impedance would be the Sansa Clip Zip with rockbox installed. its tiny and I often speak highly about the pairing with DN-1000 (they sounds really good together and has nice bass punch). DX50 is medium in size yes and it will probably offer the sound you want though something slimmer would be preferred for your application. At the end of the day for me I would take portability in your situation over getting every inch of sound quality.

Thanks for the reply, friend. I'm actually concerned about the output impedance on the Sony, as the DN-1000 has an impedance of 10ohms, and according to the 1/8 rule, that suggests I need something with an output impedance of <1.125. I wish Sony would actually publish specs like these! I actually have a Fuze v2, which is pretty equivalent to the Clip, although it's not Rockboxed and actually can't be now, because uninstalling Rockbox somehow made the Fuze's internal memory unwriteable (weird, I know; Windows can see and read the contents of the Fuze's internal storage, but simply can't write anything there). But I don't love the sound signature. It sounds a little congested to me: bassy, for sure, but also bloaty. It's better when amped with my Headsix, but the whole point is to not have to carry an amp.

I noted this morning that the DX50 is now available in the US through Amazon for only $220, while Amazon also has an X3 bundle for $210 that includes a 64GB SD card and a coax cable. Size-wise, either would probably be fine for me. The Fiio deal is extra-nice because of the included storage, but the DX50 seems to be a far more polished player. I've seen enough people say they prefer sound of the DX50 that I'd probably just pull the trigger on it. However, as a bass-head, I'm a little concerned that the DX50's signature will be a little empty downstairs. Arrgh! I love that we have many choices now, but this is so difficult!

I have just bought my first Cowon and I would like to know something about sound quality. Cowon is famous for its good sound quality, but, comparing my M2 with my Samsung Galaxy S2, I have noticed that the M2 exalts glitches and noise. If I use the equalizer to change the sound these glitches becomes more audible. If I put all the bars to +12 without changing the center frequency of each bar, so using the default one, these glitches are small, but if I change the center frequency the sound seems to be distorted.

I have used various mp3, and only one flac of the Muse to test. If I use a not so good source, is it possible that with a poor mp3 player the output is better because it is not able to make audible glitches?

In this situation it seems that my Samsung Galaxy S2 has a better quality, and it is absurd!